Plow adjustment for railway ballast removing machines



| A. PERIER 2,624,130

PLOW ADJUSTMENT FOR RAILWAY BALLAST REMOVING MACHINES Jan. 6, 1953 FiledJuly 26, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 .R R ME W0. A E. E L

Jan.6, 1953 A. PERIER 2,

PLOW ADJUSTMENT FOR RAILWAY BALLAST REMOVING MACHINES Filed July 26.1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 LklslL Wu i 22 INVENTOR. L E E P ER E R PatentedJan. 6, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE' PLOW ADJUSTMENT FOR RAILWAYBALLAST REMOVING MACHINES Lee A. Pericr, Sunnyside, Wash. ApplicationJuly 26, 1950, Serial No. 175,965

- 2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to railroad ballastin machines and isparticularly adapted for the removing of foul ballast from between andunder the ties to a predetermined level.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a machine that willremove the foul ballast from under the ties of the ralroad withoutdismantling the rails from the ties.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine that is notsupported by the rails of the track, but runs and operates on theshoulders of the road bed.

These and other incidental objects will be apparent in the drawings,specification and claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure lis a side view of my new and improved ballasting machinestraddling the rails and ties of the railroad which have previously beenraised and in position for removing the ballast formally surrounding theties.

Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1, parts broken away for convenienceof illustration.

Figure 3 is an end view, taken on line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4. is a rear end view of the machine, taken on line 4-4 of Figure1.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail fragmentary view of the special bracketemployed to support the blade employed for removing the ballast, showingthe blade in lowered and operating position.

Figure 6 is a plan view, taken on line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 5 but showing the blade in raisedand inoperative position.

Figure 8 is a plan view, taken on line 8-8 of Figure 7, illustrating apreferred form of holdin the blade out of operative position, or in theposition illustrated in broken line in Figure 2.

Figure 9 is an enlarged detail view illustrating how the points of theblades are secured together by a king pin while in scraping operation.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary detail illustrating how the hydraulic pistonrod is secured to the blade supporting pedestal.

Referring more specifically to the drawings:

My new and improved ballasting machine consists of a frame I, mountedupon front wheels 2 and rear wheels 3. The rear wheels are driven by thechains 4, operated by a motor supported on the frame. The front Wheelsare p-ivotally mounted in the vertical bearings 8 by way of the forks 9and are connected together by the tie rod it), which is pivotallyconnected to the cranks H in the usual manner, the said tie rod beingpivotally connected to the steering crank l2 of a conventional steeringassembly [3.

The front and rear wheels are adapted to run upon the shoulders of theroad bedstraddling the rails 14 and the ties l5 as best illustrated inFigures l and 2. Special brackets iii are fixedly secured to the frame Iby any suitable means, as bolts ll. These brackets have verticalbearings l8 forming part thereof and are adapted to receive the verticalcolumns 19, which are slidably mounted therein, and adapted to be raisedand lowered by hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders 29, the said cylindersbeing supported by the brackets 2i forming part of the frame l5 iFixedly secured to the lower end of-the columns l9 are scraper blades22. When the ballasting machine is in operation the tips 23'of theblades 22 are connected'together by the-king bolt 24 passing through thelugsor ears 25'which are formed integral with the ends of the blades asbest illustrated in Figures 2 and 9.

When the machine is not in operation the king bolt is withdrawn from theears 25 and the blades and columns [9 are revolved to the positionillustrated by the broken lines in Figure 2 and full lines in Figures '7and 8. After the blades have been rotated to this position the bladesand columns are raised by the action of a hydraulic or pneumatic piston.

A lug ISA is formed integral with each column l9 and is adapted to enterbetween the lugs or ears ISB forming part of each bracket l6, and alocking pin I is passed therethrough holding the said blade 22 in araised position above the ground surface while the machine is not inuse. The piston rod 26 is secured to the column l9 by way of the capplate 21 which is secured to the piston rod 26 by the lock nuts 28,referring to Fig. 10. The plate 21 is in turn removably secured to theflange l9G of the column [9.

I will now describe the operation of my new and improved foul ballastingmachine. The machine is wheeled over the rails and ties, as illustratedin Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, the supporting wheels running upon theshoulder of the road bed. Suitable jacks 29 and 29A of standardmanufacture are brought in to place as illustrated in Figure 1. Thesejacks raise the rails l4 and ties i5 as illustrated.

The ends 23 of the scraper blades 22 are brought together and locked inthe position illustrated, particularly in Figure 2 by the king bolt 24.The blades 22, by way of the columns I9, are lowered to the desireddepth as below the foul ballast, usually on a line with the bottom 39 ofthe tie beds. The machine is then moved forward by its own power forcingthe ballast by way of the blades 22 beyond the ends of the ties on tothe shoulders of the road bed or slightly beyond said shoulders, therebyremoving the said foul ballast so that the ties may be re-bedded withnew ballast.

In some cases the blades may cut the ballast away somewhat below the oldtie beds so that new ballast can be put completely under the tiesproviding a new tie bed under the said ties.

When the-ballast has been removed or levelled off, the jacks 29 and 29Aare moved to raise another section of the track and ties for levellingthe ballast.

When it is desired to move the-ballast machine from the track, the kingpin 24 is'removed, the

blades are swung outwardly as shown in the broken lines in Figure 2, andfluid is then applied to the hydraulic cylinders raising the said bladesto the position as indicated in Figures 7 and 8 where they are locked bythe bolts 19C inserted in thelugs ISA and I93 and thereby supportingthe-weight ofthesaid, columns l9 and blades 22.. The machine-then can bemoved over and along the track and turned off the same by its own power.

Although. certain specific embodiments of the inventionhave been shownand described, it is obvious that many modifications thereof arepossible. The invention, therefore, is not-to be restricted except in sofaras isnecessitated by the priorart and by the spirit of the appendedclaims.

What I claim is:

1. A ballast removing machine, comprising a frame-supported onwheels'located beyond the sides of: the railroad tracks, brackets formedwith hearings on each side the frame, bars depending from and rotatablymounted in-the bearings, scrapers; secured to the lower ends of thebars,

hydraulic motors including depending piston rods on the frame inalignment with the bars, the upper end of each bar having a plate formedwith an opening, the lower ends of the piston rods being threaded andpassed through the openings in the plates, nuts on the threaded ends ofthe piston rods to engage the upper and lower surfaces of the plates toclamp the piston rods to the bars, the piston rods andbars beingrotatable in the associated bracket bearing, detachable means at theforward ends of the scrapers to lock the scrapers together when saidscrapers are swung into V'formation for scraping, and means between thebars and the brackets to secure the, scrapers in elevated position whenthe detachable means between the scrapers is released and the scrapersswung outwardly to a position. parallel with the frame.

2. A ballast moving machine, as defined in claim. 1, wherein the-meansbetween the bars and the brackets to. secure thebrackets in elevatedposition consistsofalug on the rear ends of each bar, flanges won thebrackets, and bolts engaging the lugs andfiangesr I LEE A. PERIER.

REFERENIJES. CITED The, following references; are of record in the fileof thls, patents UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date.

748,503 Holbrook, Dec.- 29,1903 818,127 Smith, Jr, Apr..17, 19061,899,874 Lemaire Feb. 28,1933 1,929,617 Walbridge Oct. 10,19332,022,150 Protzeller Nov. 26, 1935

